We've been expecting another Hanabi Festival for quite a while now - A whole bunch of import titles are already rated and completely ready for release in PAL regions, but month after month, we were met with disappointment. It finally ends next month though!
If you take a quick look at Hudson's Virtual Console site, you'll notice that Bomberman '94 and Detana!! Twinbee are both listed for release in Europe and Australia in July, and more importantly, both have a Hanabi Festival icon!
We wonder how many games will be released - The very first Hanabi Festival saw 6 imports, the second had 9, and the third had 6 again, although one of them was a permanent rerelease of Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, which was previously only available for two and a half weeks. We certainly hope there will be 9 games again this time!
Other games likely to be released in July, because they have an OFLC or PEGI rating, are:
- Kirby's Dream Land 3 (SNES)
- MUSHA (Mega Drive)
- Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen (SNES)
- Pulseman (Mega Drive)
- Shanghai II: Dragon's Eye (Mega Drive)
- Smash Ping Pong (NES)
- Zoda's Revenge: StarTropics II (NES)
Let's hope all of them are released!
[source vc-pce.com]
Comments (44)
Err... so unless Bomberman arrives that's just one for me this time (Kirby's Dream Land 3)
Pulseman looks horrible - slow, jerky and not at all fun.
Cool!!! Zoda's Revenge and Pulseman!
Hell yeah!
Hope they release Pulseman, because is awesome.
I'd pay to play pulseman
Ninja Gaiden 2: Dark sword of chaos is long overdue as well.
EDIT: Would this qualify as Hanabi though? I think Ninja Gaiden 1 was a hanabi release despite being released in PAL regions (the same with its sequel).
Ooh - time to go back to my old Hanabi avatar, again... or not, since Ratengo STOLE it
FINALLY! I've been waiting ages for this to happen. Looking forward to Twinbee, Pulseman, Kirby and Startropics II here, as well as MUSHA. I can hope that Nintendo will release something else as well, something that hasn't been rated to surprise us. Sadly, they're not that kind.
Just wondering but did Super Turrican II originally get a European release? I keep on hearing different stories and I'm not sure what other websites are reliable.
FINALLY! I've been waiting for ages on Pulseman!!
@ Terranigma: Super Turrican II got a European release, but with Factor 5 being practically bankrupt now sadly I don't think it'll be released on VC here anymore
@Drake
I keep forgetting about that. Such a shame
Come on Ogre Battle! Zoda would be very welcome (although I never finished Star Tropics) and Pulseman looks like a fun game.
Wow pulseman !
I need points for this & Sim Earth & Water Warfair.
I kindly accept donations (joking).
I would get kirby's dream land 3 and ogre battle, no idea when I'm a bit behind, I still haven't even got secret of mana
I'm not sure, but i think i'll get MUSHA and Bomberman '94.
But i will get Kirby's Dream Land 3 for sure!
oh come on with Kirby's Dreamland 3 this time
waiting for that one so long now...
Wonder if the slowdown in VC releases was to prepare for the flood of import titles you'll no doubt be getting.
@timp29. The reason Ninja Gaiden was an import title was when it first came out here in Euorpe it came out as Shadow Warriors. The problem was Ninja Gaiden 2 and 3 came out as Ninja Gaiden. For continuity sake (not to mention Ninja Gaiden is a name people reconsie...) I guess Nintendo wanted them all known as Ninja Gaiden.
Still it doesn't explain why North America got Ninja Gaiden 2 and 3 an eternity ago and the rest of the world is yet to follow.
Edit: I got my facts wrong inb nearly every way...
I'm surprised you guys never got Kirby's Dream Land 3 originally.
@Starwolf UK:
Ninja Gaiden 2 came out as Shadow Warriors 2 here in Sweden. We didn´t get Ninja Gaiden 3 at all, did you britts?
Earthbound... Earthbound... Earthbound...
Nice one, Europe needs this very much. KIRBY KIRBY KIRBYYYYYYY
You guys are forgetting Final Fantasy!
@That Guy from Faxanadu.
It seems you are right. Making the wohle move even more odd since I bought it up with regards to argueing that River City Ransom should have been a Hanabi title rather than released as Street Gangs and the argument was Ninja Gaiden had to be called Ninja Gaiden due to the sequels...
Gah!!!!
Man... I'm going to be in the States next week... Well at least I'll be enjoying my American Wii if I get one...
I wish Hanabi included wiiware...
I wanna get Muscle March!
Ninja Ryuukenden 2/Ninja Gaiden 2 was indeed released in Europe as Shadow Warriors 2 at the very end of the NES' lifetime, as part of a bargain series of previously unreleased games.
Ninja Ryuukenden 3/Ninja Gaiden 3 was Japan/America only.
Shadow Warriors was presumably released as "Ninja Gaiden" on the VC both for the sake of title recognition (since the post-NES games were released as Ninja Gaiden here as well) and to keep the name of the series consistant for the release of Ninja Gaiden 3, since a "Shadow Warriors 3" doesn't exist. It's kind of scammy that they slap an import price on it, though.
But yeah, they really need to release the second and third game already.
Same the Mega Drive imports will be butchered to run in PAL 50Hz, unless Sega make them run in PAL 60Hz.
At least the Hanabi Festival is coming! I must remember to buy Puyo Puyo 2 on the US Shop Channel.
@Ratengo: Shanghai II isn't out in Japan is it? If I did get it it would only be for the music; I wouldn't pay 800 points for Megadrive games, so if they're an extra 100 for Hanabi, fugeddaboutit.
If the MD games are 50hz I won't be downloading any. Too many of them wont display on a HDTV and there's no way of knowing before downloading them.
Im confused? You only get to download import titles from time to time? Im Actualy glad they dont do that here since I take my time when it comes to downloading games.
Ninja Gaiden 1 and 2 were released in australia under the title ninja gaiden (at least I am pretty sure they were... thats trying to remember back a long way EDIT:I stand corrected). I just always assumed some massively fanatical fan (like myself) was purely after the extra 10fps.
EDIT: Just went on ebay and checked cartridge art and the game cartirdge was labelled Shadow Warriors II - Ninja Gaiden II here. Idiots
@Gabe: Someone else correct me if I'm wrong, but the festival is just a time when they 'release' the import titles into PAL-land, once they're there, they're usually there forever. At least that's my understanding, if I'm wrong I need to go grab Star Parodier before it gets wiped off.
Also MUSHA is gonna be great, hope to god they don't butcher it into PAL-50hz, just give it a HD interlace mode like a few of the other games.
The Hanabi festival is once a year, isn't it?
I see people are betting on Japanese games, but there's also a chance we could see games from North America that never got released here right, like the Koei strategy titles?
I really want Earthbound to come out!
I've already got it via "other means" (playing it on my DS right now, actually) but I want to give Itoi my money!
Bring forth the Ogre Battle 64!
Ogre Battle for the win.
Looks like Europe can look forward to a VERY nice selection of VC releases soon. I kinda wish North America had such a time to look forward to, as it would help us suffer through weeks of garbage.
Stuffgamer, I agree. I was in America and my brother didn't know what to get because he didn't know what to look forward to. I wish there was an easier way to sift through the garbage they give us on the VC.
Yay. Except most of those games came out in NA ages ago.
Shame the Mega Drive titles will be botched ports running in 50hz.
At least I just bought a US WII.
@ slangman: Have you got your US Wii on-line? if so have you set up it in Brazilian settings? that way you can buy VC games with your credit card. Unless you know another region that you can use? Thanks if you or anyone else can answer this. I'd Love to buy an American Wii.
Also a much awaited title for me is Bomberman 94, I'm looking forward for it to appear on VC! Also it'll be interesting to see if we get any Mario titles...
My favorite time of the year. At least for the VC.
Bring it on, I'd like to play Pulseman and Kirby Dreamland 3
OGRE BATTLE and STARTROPICS II please!
I pray, Castlevania: Rondo of Blood.
@Pj Yeah I can connect my US wii no problem. I don't use credit cards, but you can buy Wii points on ebay.com.
Although I have heard you can use credit cards if you set your settings to Brazil and switch back to US or Canada again if you want to download any VC games.
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